Binder for office folder



July 10, 1962 A. w. DALFERES BINDER FOR OFFICE FOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 15, 1960 INVENTOR is Anthony Wilmoi Dalferes FIG-1 w-M V Q MM July 10, 1962 A. w. DALFERES 3,042,935

BINDER FOR OFFICE FOLDER Filed Sept. 15, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l3 J u 28 24 32 32 25 23 [Q7 lfi 1/ I i I 1 v72 22 2| l8 E l0 I9 I? k Q0 FIG.6.

INVENTOR Anthony Wilmof Dclferes ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,042,985 BINDER FOR (BFFICE FOLDER Anthony Wiimot Daiferes, R0. Box 3083, Lafayette, La. Filed Sept. 15, 1969, Ser. No. 56,150 6 Ciaims. (Ci. 24-153) The present invention relates to binder for office folder, and has for an object to provide a novel form of binder for filing papers in tile folders or the like which avoids the tedious task involved with present folders of opening binders to receive and withdraw papers and to provide facility of opening and closing the binder by a simple operation without subjecting the hands of the operator to such physical hazards as cutting of the fingers or breaking of the finger nails.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a binder for ofiice folder of simple mechanical construction involving few and simple parts coordinated for simplification of operation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a binder for office folders in which the parts are compact and of appropriate suitability for incorporation in an oflice filing folder without adding undue bulk to filing space allotments.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary isometric view of a binder for ofiice folder constructed in accordance with the invention and shown in a position of use on a folder member with a stack of filed papers bound thereto;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of the three members constituting the binder;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the binder in the bound position;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view taken on a somewhat enlarged scale showing the binder in the bound and locked position;

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal central section taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4 and also showing the bound and locked position of the parts;

FIGURE 6 is a similar view of the position of the parts in an initial and unlocked condition, and

FIGURE 7 is a transverse sectional view taken through the assembled members on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the improved binder'comprises generally a guide member A which may be made of appropriate material, for instance metal, either resilient or rigid, a slide member B which advantageously may be made of a suitable plastic or synthetic resin material preferably possessing, at least at its forward end portion, a degree of elasticity, and a bail member C which may be of metal, plastic or other appropriate material. 7

In the single embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the guide member A is the stationary member and is preferably of channel form comprising a base 10, upright flanges 11 and 12 along the longitudinal edges of the base 10, such flanges having inturned rails 13 and 14. At the forward end of the base 10, the rails 13 and 14 are cut away to provide locking shoulders 15 and 16. Spaced slots 17 and 18 are made crosswise in the base 10 and spaced outwardly of said slots are downwardly projecting anchor posts or lugs 19, 20 which may be incised along three sides from the base 10 and bent downwardly about the fourth sides as hinges with these posts or lugs 19, 20 projecting downwardly substantially below the plane of the lower surface of the base 10, as shown more particularly in FIGURES 3 to 7 inclusive.

The slide member B comprises a slide body 21 preferably of a resilient plastic material having cross slots 22 and 23 spaced therealong the same distance as the slts 17 and 18 of the guide member A in order to register with such slots in the original or initial position of the slide member B, as shown in FIGURE 6. The forward walls 24, 25 of the slots 22, 23 are inclined forwardly and the rear slot walls 26 and 27 are preferably straight, i.e., substantially perpendicular to the plane of the base 10.

At the forward end portion of the slide body 21 is an upstanding transverse ledge or looking bar, such looking bar being carried by a resilient forward shank 29 of the slide body 21. This shank is of reduced thickness to induce flexing and has a curved undersurface 30 to produce clearance at the forward portion of the shank 29 with reference to the base 10 of the guide member A to permit of manual depressing of the looking bar 28 when the binder is to be released from its locked bound position. This curved undersurface 3t) and the relative thinness of the shank 29 contribute with the inherent elasticity of the shank to produce spring bias tending to elevate the locking bar 28 into a locked position in the path of the locking shoulders 15, 16 as soon as the locking'bar 28 is shifted to a position in registry with the cutaway forward end portions of the inturned rails 13-, 14.

As shown in FIGURE 7, the slide body 21 is of a width approximately that of the distance across the upright flanges 11 and 12 with suitable clearance to permit of ease in the sliding movement of the slide body 21 beneath the rails 13 and 1-4 by which the slide body 21 is confined slidably in place within the guide member A.

The slide body 21 has either integrally or affixed thereto an upstanding operating molding 31 narrower than the width of the slide body 21 in order to upstand between the inturned rails 13 and 14- for greater suitability in grasping by the hand of the operator to efiect forward and backward movement of the slide body 21.

This molding 31 is provided with cross slots 22 opening through its upper surface to receive the fingers and/or thumbs of the operator.

The bail member C comprises a base bar 33 which may be of substantially thick rigid material and flexible prongs 34 and 35 extending upwardly from opposite ends of the base bar 33, the upper ends of the prongs being free to receive papers to be filed which are appropriately slitted to receive the prongs 34, 35 and are also appropriately perforated to receive the anchor posts or lugs 19, 20.

At 36 is indicated a member of a cardboard or other ofiice or file folder which also may be suitably slotted to receive the prongs 34 and 35 and which will rest upon the base bar 33. Above this folder member is the sheaf or stack of paper to be filed and bound, these papers being designated at 37 in FIGURE 1.

In operation, FIGURE 6 shows the slide body 21 in a rear, origin or initial position in which the slots 22, 23 thereof are in registry with the slots 17, 18 of the base 10. The folder member 36 and the papers to be bound have been previously inserted over the prongs 34, 35. The base bar 33, the folder member 36 and the paper stack 37 are laid fiat on a table or the like and the binder ward cutaway portion of the latter and thus interlock with the shoulders 15, 16 to preventany casual or accidental produce slack or release of the prongs 34, 35.

is lowered over the prongs 34, 35 with the registering slots 1'7, 18, 22, 23 being entered over such prongs 34, 35.

Former binders present such a tedious task as often .causes filing clerks to insert documents in the folder without The'anchor posts or lugs 19, 20 are, in this movement of 7 the binder, also entered into appropriate punch holes a made in the papers to'the extent that the length of these lugs19, 20 penetrate downwardly through thenumber of upper sheets. These posts or lugs 19, 20 anchor the guidelmember A to the stack of sheets 3'] which are held immovable by their engagement with the prongs 34, 35. In this way the guide member A is held stationary while the slide'member B may be shifted back and forth longithe operator for this purpose'being engaged in the notches or cross slots 32 in the molding 31. 7

By thus pushing forwardly on the molding 31, the slide B. is caused to be shifted from the rear origin position of FIGURE 6 forwardly to the locked bound position of tudinally in the channel guide member'A, the fingers of V factory binding, necessitating the use of a pair of pliers to straighten out the metallic prongs.

'It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above objections to former binders are eliminated in the binder of this invention, whichrwill eliminate cutting of fingers and breaking of the finger nails, usually carefully attended to by office personnel.

FIGURE 5. in executing this sliding movement, the

, rear straight walls 26, 27 of the slots 22, 23 will exert forward thrust upon the prongs 34, 35 causing such prongs to be pushed over into oblique positions against the forward inclined slot walls 24, 25. As the slide member B continues to be pushed to the left (compare FIG- URES 6 and 5'), successive portions of the prongs 34, 35 above the base 14) will be turned at substantially right 'angles and caused to assume a bound condition between the bottom surface of the slide member B'and the upper surface of the base 10 of the guide member A.

As shown in FIGURE 7, there is exaggerated clearance shown between the slide body 21 and the base 10 of the guide member A as indicative of suitable clearance between these parts to accommodate the relatively thin flexible prongs 34, 35 and to create binding action of the base 10 and the. slide body 21 upon the now included substantially horizontal portions of the prongs 34,35. In the event that the guide member A is of'resilient *metal, the inherent resiliency ofthe inturned rails 13, 14 will create a reactive pressure downwardly upon the slide It will also be clear to those in this art that the binder of this invention permits binding with a simple operation of a forward movement and a releasing with the simple operation of a retracting movement, all kinks or bend's being removed from the prongs incident to the retracting movement of the slide member B, aided of course by the nature of the prongs where the same are made from plastic or synthetic resins.

Although I have disclosed'herein the best form of the I invention known to me at this time, I reserve the right to body and incidentally upon the included horizontal por- ,tions of the prongs 34, 35, all incident to an upward.

direct thrust of the slide body 21 against the undersides of and therefore causing the contrary reaction downwardly the rails 13, 14 tending to displace these rails upwardly which will contribute to the binding of the prongs be-J tween themernbers-A and B. In the fin'albound position, as shown in FIGUREV 5, the terminal free end portions ofthe prongs 34, 35 will assume a diagonal or oblique position resting on the inclinedjwalls 24, 25.

Throughout this forward movement of the slide mernber Bthe locking bar 28 will be confined under the rails 13, 14, under resilient tension. On arriving at the fully .home bound position of the slide'member B, the bar 28 will spring upwardly when freed of the rails at the forretrograde movement of the slide B which would tend to 'It will thus be seen that the anchor posts or lugs 19, 20,

in cooperation with the paper stack, hold the guide mem her A relatively stationary and prevent the same moving to the right or left pursuant to similar movements of the slide member B.

For releasing from the positions of FIGURES 3, 4 and 5, downward pressure is exerted on locking barZS to e free the same from the locking shoulders 15, 16..and at the same time the slide B is pushed back until the slots '22,

23 thereof again register with the slots 17, 18 of the guide member A. In this returned position, as illustrated in FIGURE 6, the members A and B may then be raised off the prongs 34, 35 permitting removal or additionof documents.

In comparison with'existing binders, the operation of "the device of this invention to bind or to release will be e much more rapid. The binder of this invention requires no finger action in closing and no finger nail action in releasing the prongs to restore them to an upright position.

all such modifications and changes as may the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is: Q

e l. A binder for oflice folder comprising a base, bendable prongs initially upstanding from the base'upon which papers to be bound are placed, a guide member removably received over the papers and having slots through which the prongs project, a slide member slidable in the guide member having slots to receive the prongs, binding'means on the slide member for bending and clamping portions of the prongs between the two members incident to sliding-movement of theslide member in one direction, the depth of clearance between the bottom surface of said slide and the surface of said guide member opposed thereto approximately corresponding to the initial thickness of the portions of the prongs designed to occupy the space between said surfaces, and releasing means on the slide member for prying up the bent and clamped portions of the prongs incident to sliding movement of the slide member in an opposite direction.

'2. A binder for ofiice folder as claimed in claim 1 in Whichsaid binding means comprises upstanding walls de-, fining the slide member slots at ends thereof, flange means on one of'said guide members in confining relation to said slide member, said flange means .reactively pressurecome within the binder and said releasingmeanscomprising inclined walls defining the slide member slots at the opposite ends. a

. 3. .A binder for ofiice folder as claimed in claim 1 further comprising pressure means between the guide and slide members for urging the members together on the bent portions of the prongs.

4. A binder for office folder as claimed in claim 1 further comprising normally inoperative locking means between the two members biased to locked position when the slide member moves a predetermined degree in the one direction. 7

5. A binder for oflice folder as claimed in claim 4 in which said locking means comprises a resiliently upthrust locking bar on the slide member, rails on the guide member overlying the slide member and adapted to confine the locking bar therebeneath, said rails having locking shoul ders to lockingly receive the locking bar when moved out from under the rails. I

6; A binder for oflice folderas claimed in claim 1 further comprising'means projecting down from the guide member to penetrate at least partially the bound papers for holding the guide member stationary and preventing References Cited in ahe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Coppuck Aug. 19, 1890 Wigginton Nov. 30, 1909 6 McLaughlin Oct. 16, 1917 Taylor Aug. 6, 1918 Knoch Nov. 23, 1920 Smith Mar. 7, 1922 Bunnell Nov. 12, 1940 Kern Dec. 2, 1-941 Uthurriague June 9, 1953 

